Brown Eyed Girl

Blog

2010-11-30T20:25:00.000-06:00

I wish I still had it in me to blog. Facebook has made me lazy. ugh.

Boo!

2010-06-10T20:51:00.000-05:00

BOO!

Just seeing if anyone notices.....

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

2009-12-06T21:11:00.001-06:00

SNOW!!!

Yet another update...

2009-06-29T14:19:00.002-05:00

The Latest

2009-05-26T20:51:00.001-05:00

A few more from today

2009-05-02T20:47:00.004-05:00

It's coming along

2009-04-28T08:50:00.000-05:00

http://picasaweb.google.com/merlah77/NewHomeBuilding?authkey=Gv1sRgCNDx3Iyih57NDQ&feat=directlink

Soon.....

2009-03-25T14:52:00.003-05:00

Update on the Build Process

2009-03-08T12:11:00.007-05:00

For those of you that don't already know...

There has been a COMPLETE change in our home building. We fired our last builder.

Yep! After 6 months of delays, all we had was a slab of foundation. That's it. The hubby finally got some straight answers a week and half ago. The builder's lending institution that gives them money to build homes went under. The builder hasn't gone under (yet), but they have no money to continuing/start building right now. We were told that they may not get any info for another month or 2. We didn't want to wait around to see if they could or could not continue with building our home. So, we fired them. THANK GOD we will be getting our deposit back.

We did not own the lot yet that they were building on, they did, so we don't have to stay there. We did look at other homes and home builders in that neighborhood and just simply didn't see anything else we liked.

We did a few more searches and looks at pre-owned homes, but we really don't want that. That's why we decided to build a new home in the first place. We want it exactly the way we want as we move in. We don't want to spend a lot on a house just to turn around and renovate it. That just isn't our thing right now.

So, we went back to another neighborhood & builder we had highly considered before this home. We really like this other neighborhood as well and found a nice lot. We didn't waste any time. We signed a new contract last weekend and the ball is rolling again. Our appt with the design center is tomorrow and within the next 2-3 weeks we should have our pre-construction meeting and shortly there after, we should have another slab. This time.... it won't take 6 months just to get to that point!!!

Let's all hope and pray this one works out. Hubby and I are very anxious to have our dream home.

Here are some pics of the house plan and the lot we picked....

Progress...

2009-02-02T14:32:00.003-06:00

It seems slow-going, but there is progress on the home. We should FINALLY have the foundation poured this week.

It's Official

2009-01-19T10:23:00.004-06:00

The Hubby & I are HUGE dorks...

We actually arrived at Target 15 minutes before they opened yesterday just so we could grab one of ten Wii Fits they were getting in stock. DORKS!!!

This all started when we were there on Saturday looking at Wii stuffs and this strange Target employee leans into us and says, "hey....you interested in getting a Wii or Wii fit?" They were clearly out of stock. "Well, we are interesting in getting a Wii Fit, " we say. She looks around in a strange way as if she was trying to sell us crack or something. "We are getting a shipment of 10 Wii Fit in for tomorrow morning. But we'll only have ten!"

So, we were dorks and ACTUALLY got there early to grab a Fit. I am going to give it a try today. I am sure it won't be the magic trick I need to loose these 10lbs, but I'll try it!

We are HUGE dorks!!!!

p.s. Not much progress on the home. UG! Of course I will update when something more happens...

Hey Stranger! and More Randomness......... Tra La La

2008-12-22T09:45:00.004-06:00

I am off from work allllll week! YAY! So, I thought I would blog. WHOA! Shocker!

Well, my cold that I have had for over 2 weeks is almost all gone. YAY! (Keeping fingers crossed.) This has been a bad winter for illnesses for everyone.

My wedding ring is in the process of being repaired. Boo. As you can see from the previous post, one of the pesky little sapphires decided to jump out and run away. :( So, the jeweler has to find a matching sapphire and fit it to my ring. It will probably be after Christmas when I get it back. Thankfully I have my "sport wedding band" to wear in the meantime.

OK. Time to complain. I whined a little about this on my Facebook page, but I have to complain here, too. :) So, Hubby and I were out this weekend finishinig up our Christmas shopping (we are done!!! YAY!). I saw someone I know and was flabbergasted...that's right...I said flabbergasted...at their response to my smiling and waving to this person. I don't think my explanation will do justice to how she acknowledged me. She sarcastically smirked (not a smile at all) and did a quick wave. Like, "Yah, I see you....and I could care less." I was like, "What the???" Hubby? Did you see that??? What kind of response is that? How incredibly rude. Look chic. Yes, you and I aren't friends, but we do know each other and we have mutual friends. What's with the rudeness? What did I ever do to you???? I don't get it. I am like the nicest person ever. ;)

Sheesh!

So, on a final and VERY EXCITING note. The actual house building process has officially begun. I took a long time and paperwork to choose the home and at the options and stuffs that go with it. Hubby & I finally met with the construction supervisor last weekend and this week, they began!!!

UG!

2008-12-07T09:30:00.002-06:00

If anyone has found a missing immune system AND sapphire....please let me know.

I am looking for these items.

Wow, today is a crappy day!

:(

You Will be Missed!

2008-11-11T19:45:00.002-06:00

Love you, Nana! You will be missed. I am comforted that you are now with God, Margie, and Grandpa Chuck. I am comforted that you are in a peaceful place in no pain and looking down on all of us sending us your love and blessings. We'll see you again someday.

More Photos

2008-10-26T15:56:00.001-05:00

Click here: More Grand Canyon & Sedona pics.

Grand Canyon & Sedona

2008-10-26T14:49:00.009-05:00

The hubby & I had a great time with ETK & Baby in the Grand Canyon!

We stayed just outside of the park in a small town called Tusayan, AZ, and so we just a few minutes away from the South Rim. We hiked every day! The first day we did part of the South Kaibab trail, the second day we took it down a few notches (the South Kaibab was STEEP, but great) and did the Rim Trail, and the third day we hiked part of the Bright Angel trail. We tried many of the restaurants, and they were mostly mediocre at best. BUT what do you expect from a state park. ;) However, we really enjoyed the breakfast & strong coffee at Cafe Tusayan. We didn't try lunch or dinner, so not sure how those meals rate. I imagine probably not that great from what I briefly read from reviews online. BUT one does not go to the Grand Canyon for the food. You go for the BREATH-TAKING views and awesome hiking. I really enjoyed it & will definitely go back sometime. Maybe next time we'll get to stay at one of the cabins or lodges in the park. Or maybe even in the historic El Tovar.

Hubby & I spent our last night in Sedona, AZ. What a beautiful town! I wish we had spent a few more days there. Also, breath-taking views. We didn't have time to hike, but had some time to check out some of the shops and art galleries, snapped some great photos of the red rocks, stayed in an awesome hotel, and had an AMAZINGLY delicious last meal at a great Italian restaurant called Dahl & Di Luca Cucina Rustica. Very dee-lish & very romantic. We dined on the patio with an outdoor fire place & a musician. It was a great way to end our vacation.

We had a great time & were glad to share most of our time with ETK & Baby. :)

2008-10-21T21:28:00.002-05:00

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.

Addendum to this...(Thanks for informing us, Ian!!!):

From an internet source:

William J. H. Boetcker (1873 – 1962) was an American religious leader and influential public speaker.
Born in Hamburg, Germany, he was ordained a Presbyterian minister soon after his arrival in the United States as a young adult. He quickly gained attention as an eloquent motivational speaker, and is often regarded today as the forerunner of such contemporary "success coaches" as Anthony Robbins. An outspoken political conservative, Rev. Boetcker is perhaps best remembered for his authorship of a pamphlet entitled The Ten Cannots. Originally published in 1916, it is often misattributed to Abraham Lincoln. The error apparently stems from a leaflet printed in 1942 by a conservative political organization called the Committee for Constitutional Government. The leaflet bore the title "Lincoln on Limitations" and contained some genuine Lincoln quotations on one side and the "Ten Cannots" on the other, with the attributions juxtaposed. The mistake of crediting Lincoln for having been the source of "The Ten Cannots" has been repeated many times since, most notably by Ronald Reagan in a speech he gave at the 1992 Republican convention in Houston.

There are several minor variants of the pamphlet in circulation, but the most commonly-accepted version appears below:
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot help little men by tearing down big men.
You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.
You cannot build character and courage by destroying men's initiative and independence.
And you cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves.

We Survived Ike!

2008-10-02T21:55:00.004-05:00

Well, we survived Ike. Thankfully, my family and I got through the storm without major problems. We are ok, my parents' home is fine, and our cars are ok. We did have a lot of trees down & a lot of debris, but it is mostly cleaned up now. The house and my sister's car were JUST missed by trees. Thank God they weren't hit. The house only sustained a small hole in the roof, which is now patched and the power lines were severed, but also repaired. We had NO electricity for 2 weeks! Thankfully Dad has a generator and we were able to have the fridge plugged in, fans, cell phones, and eventually we plugged in window A/C units due to the increasing heat after the storm passed. We got electricity back on this weekend. Let me just say that I LOVE ELECTRICITY, HOT SHOWERS, AND A/C!!! These trully are luxuries that we take for granted. I sooooo appreciate them now if I didn't before. :)

My family and I sure are blessed. As you have probably heard and seen, so many people here were not so lucky. I hears some of the people I know in Galveston lost their homes or nearly lost them and much of their property. Some lost their lives. The losses are horrific. AND I AM SOOOO GLAD hubby & I had already sold our home before the storm....we don't even know yet how it did through the storm. Our old neighborhood is much closer to the coast compared to where my parents' home is. I hope it is ok... but thank God we aren't there any more!!!

Here are some of my storm pics....

We do not like Ike!!!

2008-09-12T07:52:00.001-05:00

Big Heart

2008-08-29T16:39:00.001-05:00

Wow! This woman has a HUGE heart!

It's people like her that I admire greatly...

Angel's Gate

Looks like we've changed plans.....

2008-08-25T15:50:00.001-05:00

Transition

2008-08-09T21:44:00.007-05:00

Well, most of you already know that we already survived the move-out last weekend. The townhome is sold & we officially no longer own a home....for now.

We moved into my parents' garage apartment last weekend & are still a adjusting & getting settled. You'd think settling into a ~ 600 sq ft apt wouldn't take so long. We have most of our stuffs in storage and mainly just showed up with a bunch of clothes and of course the beloved flat screen. ;p OH yeah...and the furballs. So much for kicking the pets out of the bedroom....the apartment is a studio set up. :) So, yes, we are all adjusting to living in small space again.

BUT.... the apartment is adorable & very comfortable AND free! We are soooooo very thankful that my parents are willing to offer it to us for the months it will take to build the next one. Once we actually start the process (we hope next month), we were told it will take 4-6 months to build....which I bet really means 6-10 months.

The commute is a little less for Hubby and a little longer for me. However, it is very beautiful here in my parents' neighborhood. We practically live in a forest now! So many beautiful trees!

The first picture was several years ago when they first bought it. The second one is a more recent pic. They have done a lot! In the first pic, you can see that there is an apt above the garage...that's where we now live and will for the next 6+ months....

All is well! Now we just need to get the next home started! I think we will enjoy our short time here in the woods. It's so pretty here! I'll try to take some recent photos & get them posted. :)

Only a week & a half...

2008-07-23T21:36:00.002-05:00

....until the closing & move out from our townhome. Then it is off to north of h-town to live in the parentals' garage apartment until the next home is built.

Wow. I don't think it has hit me yet that the hubby & I are about to sell our first home and move on to the next phase in life.

Have I told how crazy life has been these past 4 years ??? Engagement, applying to PA school, planning a wedding, marriage, first home, PA school, graduation, new job, selling first home......
Yes, it's been crazy....

The whole new job & selling of the home process has kept me crazy busy, and that is why I have been so absent in blogging and hanging out with friends....

Craziness, I tell you.

Maybe things will slow down someday.... Maybe....

Keeping our fingers crossed

2008-07-13T09:30:00.002-05:00

A contract has been placed on our house and if all goes well...closing will be at the end of the month!!! Yes, this month...a few weeks away!!!!

Keep your fingers and toes crossed that all goes well with it!!!

Then we can begin the process on building the next home.

We are still thinking of building this one.....

So you wanna be a dog....

2008-06-21T20:32:00.004-05:00

And more pet photos for your viewing pleasure....

One of those moments....

2008-06-12T20:14:00.001-05:00

I had one of those difficult-have-to-be-strong-and-hold-in-the-tears-moments...

I had this little man (for some reason I find myself calling my patient's "my little man or my little lady" this week that I am sooo worried about.

He has this HORRIBLE tumor that is the size of at least a grapefruit in his colon and extending into his liver, abdominal wall, and small intestine. Ug. Not good. Not good. Not to mention, when he came to me he was very anemic and we had to transfuse him.

And it wasn't just the cancer that made me feel sad....

He is this simple, sweet little man from small-town Tejas. Probably very little education. He lost his job due to his trouble with his heart and now the cancer. His wife is in a wheelchair and couldn't even make it to their second appt with us. He is very worried about finances and is scared about his cancer and coming into such a big hospital in such a big city.

Then we tell him we can't do surgery. His tumor is too big and too extensive. He needs chemo and radiation. He needs to find a way to temporarily move to the Houston area to probably get several weeks of daily chemoradiation treatment. He has little money. He has pets. He has a home. His wife uses a cane and a wheelchair. He is sick, anxious, and scared.

After these weeks of treatment, then we might be able to do surgery if his tumor responds....

This is what I do everyday.

For some reason, this one hit me hard this week.

Go Dynamo!!!!

2008-06-12T20:00:00.000-05:00

I'm here...

2008-06-05T20:30:00.003-05:00

Just been unmotivated, too busy, too tired, or too lazy to post.

Still workin hard. Enjoying my job more and more everyday. It's very challenging and stressful at times, but I'm enjoying it.

House is still on the market. :( And we are soooo ready to move on... ug.

My weekends for the past month have been crazy-busy, but good and fun!

Maybe this weekend I'll do more of an update post. MAYBE....

How y'all doin?

Idol what?

2008-05-21T20:58:00.004-05:00

Are Hubby & I the only ones on this planet who DO NOT watch American Idol or some other Idol.

Just curious.....

Go Spurs!!!

Anywho....

Wow! Life has been crazy, busy, and fun here and there. House on the market, house stuffs, work stuffs, travel to Oregon for a wedding, a Texaconsin was in town with her hubby & we got skilled on cycling, Alli turned another year OLDER (ug), a fancy-shmancy work dinner coming up, another wedding, Memorial Day, possible trip to San Antonio.....

Phew!!! I need a vacation. ;)

This is why I don't blog much anymore. Too tired & busy!!!!!!

I'll try to post some recent pics soon. I know you all miss my mug, doncha? ;p

Overheard at the Water Cooler

2008-05-05T19:11:00.002-05:00

Nurse: calling out to waiting room in a timid voice. "Shady Nasty? Is there a Shady Nasty?"

No answer.

Nurse: a little bit of a louder voice "Um, is there a Shady Nasty? Shady Nasty?"

No answer, again.

Nurse again: Louder voice "SHADY NASTY? S-H-A-D-Y-N-A-S-T-Y."

LARGE female patient: "Oh no you di-int just mis-PRO-nounce my name. My name is pronounced Sha' Dynasty. With the comma on the top." (she means apostrophe...but calls it the comma on the top....)

So.... Of course we all cracked up with this story and are now saying... Sha'Dynasty with the comma on the top!

People are so silly sometimes...

This is a story about a nurse and a patient not from my place of work.

So Out of IT

2008-05-02T18:39:00.003-05:00

Dude, I am so not with IT this days. By IT, I mean fashion. It's funny how one's priorities change depending on what is going on in life. All I think about these days is hubby, work, and homes stuffs. There doesn't seem like much room for much else. I TRY to squeeze my family & friends in as much as I can.

Anywho, so I was chatting with one of the new PAs that was hired a month or so after me today. We were talking about undergrad, etc, and fashion & shopping came up. Shopping for clothes? What is this? WOW. I haven't bought any new clothes in MONTHS! That is a longggg time for me. But even when I do, I stick to very few stores these days and usually things have to be on sale. Dept stores, The Gap, Express, Banana Republic, New York & Co. That's about the extent & then I get bored. Anywho, I haven't been in months, like I said...I find myself wearing scrubs a lot these days except on my clinic days (2 days a week). I have given up on my hair (hating it soooo much right now, but trying to give it a major chemical break). Anywho, back to clothes.....so this chickie was talking about these and that jeans and this and that brand.....I had no idea what she was talking about. Never had heard of them. I am so out of it with fashion these days. I just don't really care. I just want to be comfortable and try to at least look cute. When did I stop caring???? I guess being so busy has gotten in the way.

But I still hate my hair.

I think I need a makeover something fierce. So feel free to nominate me!!!

(oh, but I still have my Coach addiction....that will prob never die....bring on the Coach!!!!)

I made it almost a year, I think....

2008-04-28T12:42:00.005-05:00

...without getting sick (minus the food poisoning that almost killed me in Maui).

It has helped not being in Family Medicine clinics. Most of my patients are ill with cancer(s), but are not usually come in contagious. So, I have been able to stay fairly healthy since my clinical rotations ended last year when I was still in PA school.

BUT...BUT.... ug

I am home today ill. I guess all the non-stop work & home schtuffs has caught up to me. I have the plague (as Hubby would say). I am feverish, exhausted, sore throat, watery eyes, exhausted some more....prickly...hot & cold...ug. See! I do have the plague. Ok. Not really. No need for anyone to start chanting, "Bring out your dead!" points to anyone who knows that quote (family isn't allowed to answer this one!)

So, I am not completely work free. I have answered a few work emails. Awww...the joys of having a Cranberry (aka Blackberry). I am tied to my email/pager. THANKFULLY the pager has been silent today. Knock on wood! Also, thankfully my doc is back in town (he was out most of last week.)

Anyway.....

I know some of you are curious about the home showing that occured yesterday. Well, Hubby got a call from OUR realtor this am. She said it went very well & the couple is highly interested. Hopefully I am not jinxing it by blogging about it. I am also trying to not get too excited about it, but it is hard not to. She is going to help them get pre-qualified for it. Not a bad sign, eh? EEEE!!! See, I am having a hard time containing myself. Man, that was just the FIRST showing so far!!! They all said it showed "beautifully" and again the realtor said it is "staged perfectly." EEE!!!!

Ok. Calm Alli. Ya can't get too excited.....

So, we are still considering all of our options in regards to a home we will buy (new vs. used). However, we are leaning towards building one.

We really think this one looks so pretty..... It is a new plan, so no actual pictures available yet.

Ok. Back to resting. soooo tired.

Chomp!

2008-04-26T15:44:00.000-05:00

We've got our first bite!!!

I mean tomorrow we'll get bitten...

Keep your fingers & toes crossed for us!!!!!

EEEEE!!!

We've got to find a better way...

2008-04-26T08:46:00.002-05:00

I am sure some of you have already heard about the problems with biofuel.....

We definitely need to keep researching and find a better solution to our fuel problems....

The Ethanol Boondoggle

Burning Money & Fuel

We did it..

2008-04-22T21:10:00.005-05:00

Well, we did it.

We finally placed our townhome on the market.

It's official!

Let's all hope we can sell it!!! And hopefully at or near full price!

Wish us luck!!

Here is just one of the photos that will be online...

Scattergories

2008-04-16T20:52:00.003-05:00

Borrowed from ETK!

Copy and paste & add your own words.

*Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following...they have to be real places, names, things...nothing madeup! Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same 1st initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question. You're up!! It's not as easy as you think!!!

What is your name?: Alli
A four letter word : Alto
Name a vehicle : Accord
Name a city : Austin
A boy's name: Allen
A girl's name : Amy
A drink : Amaretto Sour
Name a celebrity : Allen Alda (2 pts for me, too!!!) :)
A reason for being late: Accident in traffic
Something you shout: @ss!!! although Jack is usually in front of it. (sorry mom...it's usually only when I'm driving.)
Dessert: Angel food cake
Name a song: Allison by Elvis Costello

Do it people! :) It was fun!

I Didn't Realize How Much I Love It

2008-04-15T19:49:00.002-05:00

My car that is...

I had been without it for a day so the windshield could be replaced and so it could get routine maintenance. I had a loaner car that was...lets just say...of lesser desire for me. It was little and kinda zippy, but I missed my blue beauty. :) It's weird how getting in a different car is such a foreign feeling. AND I have gotten so spoiled with being able to change the radio channels and volume on my stearing wheel....the loaner car didn't have this and I kept trying to press the buttons there were non-existent. That was so annoying! However, I was thankful to have a loaner car at no cost to me. So, I shouldn't complain. THAT and I realized how nice my car is & how comfortable I am in it. I love it!

Wow, I love my car! It's sooooo good to have it back.

and...

2008-04-14T20:32:00.003-05:00

sorry for not replying to your replies. I'm a poo-poo head right now. Yeah, that's right. I said poo-poo head. Wannafightaboutit?

Oh and by the way...in case some of you were wondering....

I deleted a post about NOT putting our house on the market right away, because I think we ARE going to in the next few weeks.... we had a little freak-out Saturday night, but we calmed down. We had a bad case of the over-analysing. Pups & I are two peas in a pod about many things and that is one of them. We analyze and analyze and analyze some more. Must be the science dorks in us. We are cute, but we are big dorks, too. ;) We're so wishy-washy at times. Sheeshers.

We had that realestate couple come by & they took a look at our place. They said, "It's so cute & well taken care of." "Staged perfectly." "Great landscaping." We just a few somewhat minor things to take care of. Then we just need to sign the papers, get the sign in our yard (it's in our garage right now) & photos for them to put online.

Yay!

So, know anyone that needs/wants a 3-yeard-old townhome?

:)

So sorry

2008-04-12T18:55:00.003-05:00

Sorry I haven't been blogging. I have felt completely uninspired to do so. I guess you could call it a blogging slump.

Work is still going very well. I have been there just over 2 months now & I think I am doing well. It is a massive patient load at times, but it's doable. For being a newbie, I think I am handling things well. I've only cried once! ;) I still have a million and one questions everyday, but that's how we learn, right? Better me asking a million questions than making a million mistakes. I make those, too (and get a hand slapping from time to time...although not from my surgeon...he is amazingly patient...it's great).

As far as home stuffs, we have a realestate person coming over tomorrow to discuss putting our townhome on the market. Who knows, maybe it'll be on the market this week!

Again, sorry for the lack of and lame-o blogging lately. Pretty much all that consumes me right now is work, working towards selling our house, & looking for another.

I appreciate the few of you that still stop by. :)

Blah blah blah

2008-04-06T10:24:00.002-05:00

WARNING! RANDOMNESS AHEAD.......

1. Hubby & I are spending the weekend cleaning, organizing, working in the yard, and anything we can do to get closer to putting our home on the market. Wow!!!! We've never sold a home before. We're getting so close & it's kind of scary. HGTV is on a lot to get ideas, tips, and advice. Pack up the clutter & have less personal items around. Stage the house!!! It's all about the staging. We're working on it! Hubby has been doing amazing work in the yard & giving us great curb appeal. He also worked on organizing our kitchen closet. We want to show off how much great storage this place has! We'll have to suck it up in the evenings this week and continue working hard. We may be having a realestate person come by this up coming weekend to get us even closer.

2. We booked our tickets for our Mexico trip this fall with Mrs. & Mr. ETK. I've haven't been to Mexicon since I was like 3! Can you believe it??? We had thought about going there for my graduation trip, but decided on Maui instead. But NOW we are finally going. We still need to book our hotel & are looking into this little place in Yelapa which is near Puerto Vallarta. We already can't wait!! YEAH!!! The beach is already calling me!!! Thankfully we have the little Oregon trip coming up for my cousin's wedding. We'll be in need of that weekend get-away. We have to sneak another weekend get-away somewhere in between our Oregon and Mexico trip. Hubby & I need our get-aways!!!

3. Yesterday we went to my doc's home for a housewarming & his wife's (also my co-worker) bday party. Can I just say WOW! Their new house is soooo beautiful. Absolutely amazing! Some of the other Pink Ninja's were there, too & Hubby got to finally meet the surgeon I work with. We had a great time! Did I mention how awesome their house was!!! WOW!!! ;)

OK. Back to the house work for me....

Ouch! My Gastrocs Hate Me!

2008-03-31T19:55:00.006-05:00

Man, I am so out of shape, it's sad.

I ran the 5k SCOPE fun run this past weekend (for colorectal cancer research and awareness) & I am STILL sore! That is terribly sad. I used to run these no problem. But no more! I had to stop a few times, and I was walking yesterday and today like I am almost crippled. My calf muscles hate me so much right now. I think I am having calf muscle failure. Hey! It could happen!

You'd think this would be my motivation to get on our new elliptical machine....we got it last week & I still have yet to try it out. Maybe tomorrow my muscles won't hate me anymore & I can finally use it.

Well, we had CRAZY busy, but good weekend. Saturday morning was the run & we spent the rest of the weekend looking at homes. We looked at some new ones on Saturday & new & used ones on Sunday. We found one we ABSOLUTELY love, and we sooo wish we were ready to buy right now. However, we have to sell ours first. So, I think we might put ours on the market very soon.

It's amazing how emotionally exhausting this house hunting situation is. I feel like I need another weekend already. Unfortunately, dealing with major finance considerations, like a new house, REALLY stresses me out. In case ya hadn't figured this out about me, I worry about money WAY too much and freak out about debt. I really need to let some of that go. However, I feel that it has helped me stay conservative over the years and avoid unnecessary debt.

Can I have another weekend? Please?

HOWDY!

2008-03-27T17:29:00.004-05:00

I know, I know. I haven't been blogging. I'm sorry. Get off my back, mkay?

But man, I am just too bloody exhausted when I get home.

AND our weekends have been jam packed with family, friends, cleaning, errands, and HOME HUNTING!!!

We keep flip-flopping on the home hunting and I think we are NOW leaning towards THIS area. It has a lot of trees, pretty houses, trails, etc & the commute won't be bad. We are going this Sunday to scope out some homes there. YAH!

Saturday, we are going to meet up with some of my co-workers, AKA the Pink Ninjas (we have rose colored scrubs at this hospital), for the 3rd annual SCOPE run & then lunch after. Should be a lot of fun. Either tonight or tomorrow night, I need to work on decorating my PINK handkerchief. We're going to look so awesome! ;) It's going to be a hoot. Poor Hubby. He signed up to do this Walk/Run with us & he doesn't know what he got himself into. HAHAHA. He's gonna think the Pink Ninjas are loony. But hey, with the seriousness we deal with everyday, we gotta have fun & laugh. These girls are great & a lot of fun. :)

Funny for the day:

So, at our hospital, we dictate our medical records over the phone and scribes type them for us. Some of the transcriptional errors are hysterical. Today I was reading one of mine that said, "The patient was instructed that he needs to continue to exercise more intraorally." I busted out with laughter and read it out loud to my officemates and every one laughed. Apparently intraoral exercise is good for one's liver and/or cancer. I am guessing I mumbled something like frequently??? and the scribe heard intraorally??? I dunno, but it was pretty darn funny.

See, we get to laugh here, too. I was laughing so hard with my clinic nurse yesterday, I had tears and nearly pee'd myself. ha!

Laughter is good. ;)

I know, I know....I need to post some pictures.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T09:05:00.005-05:00

He is risen!

He is risen, indeed!

Irony

2008-03-18T19:24:00.004-05:00

is finally accepting someone who we probably couldn't have done anything for but there was so much push from a family member......

and then finding out they passed away the week they were supposed to fly here.

I am just glad they were home when it happened and not here (or worse on the way here). That would have been that much more tough on the family and everyone involved.

You see, there are reasons why some patients aren't able to be accepted. Not everyone is a "surgical candidate." Unfortunately, we cannot save everyone. I wish we could....

But sometimes God has other plans.

That was how my week started yesterday....

Cancer is not any easy disease to be involved in.

But there are a lot of miracles, too. I'll share those with you, too. Promise.

Oh, and Happy St. Patty's Day!

2008-03-17T19:48:00.002-05:00

WOW!

2008-03-17T19:17:00.001-05:00

Oh my gosh! I am soooooo incredibly cranky right now, I can't even tell you.

I have been little miss cranky-McCrankerson ALL day & my patience (not patients...ha!) is lacking big time right now!!!

This has been a Monday!!!

Things I LOVE

2008-03-15T15:03:00.004-05:00

Another things I LOVE post......

Thinking about Jen & her love of stilettos made me think how I wish I could wear them but my feet would hate me. The shoes I had been wearing at work were KILLING my poor footsies. BUT I did recently find some cute, girly shoes that I can actually stand all day in while in clinic and when I am walking around the hospital. I HEART them so much, I got them in black AND brown.

Aren't they cute?

I so love Born shoes (so does Hubby....he has more Born shoes & sandals than I do!!!!), AND I love these kind of cute, girlie heels with buckle straps. They are just so cute & can be a little sassy, too! :)

The Week in Review

2008-03-15T09:37:00.008-05:00

First of all, I apologize for the lack of blogging. I have just been too tired during the week. I only have free time in the evenings these days, and it is just enough to hang out with the hubby, eat dinner, and pass out in bed.

Last week, ETK came for a visit, & it was great to see her as usual! Hubby & I are glad that she may be making more trips to H-town with the new job. YAH! More ETK! :) Then she and Hubby flew up to OK to visit Hubby's dad & TT. I couldn't make it up there since I don't have PTO just yet, but glad TT & Lovee got to spend some alone time with their kiddos. :) I spent the weekend resting & all day Saturday catching up with one of my girlsfriends & finally got to meet her new baby boy. She has 2 little boys now & they are both such cuties. NO, I am not getting any ideas....but I did have a STRANGE dream last night which I will save for another blog.

This week was my first week as a FO PAC as others have called me. FULL-ON PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT-CERTIFIED. ;) So, I can see patients on my own, bill for my services, write orders & prescriptions, etc. It was a busy week, but a good one. I feel like I am really starting to get the hang of it. YAH ME! :)

This was my first week to receive big thanks & a little gift from one of my patients. I worked hard to get this old man back to see us for a new tumor that had grown (the man is old & from another state) & thankfully my surgeon was able to get the tumor out. The patient was recovering in the hospital this week, but like a good little patient he got out of bed as we tell them to do (to prevent pneumonias and blood clots). He walked to the hospital rose garden and then walked all the way to clinic (on the other side of the building from the inpatient floors) to track me down. Lucky for him I was there that day b/c it wasn't one of my normal clinic days. He just had to give me a rose IN PERSON that he had picked from that hospital rose garden. How sweet was that!?! He is a cute old man, a bit crotchety at times, but cute none-the-less. He thanked me for helping "save his life." It definitely gave me warm fuzzies. That's why I am doing this job.

So, you have sweet patients like that.

Then there are the people that frustrate you. For example......WHY ARE YOU SMOKING IN THE PARKING GARAGE OF A CANCER HOSPITAL????? I don't know if this person was a patient or a visitor, but really. HOW INCONSIDERATE!! I understand that this is a difficult time, but why expose yourself and others around you to the carcinogens that probably helped you (or the patient) get to the hospital in the first place? No offense to the (unfortunately) many readers of mine that smoke, but I think most of you would be thoughtful enough to not smoke at/near a cancer center. P.S. You all need to quit smoking. OK. I'll get off my soapbox now. Sorry. You have to remember the people I am working hard/fighting for everyday now..... And I love you. And I care....

I need more coffee....

So the weekend: I GOT TO SLEEP IN TODAY!!! IT WAS SOOO NICE!!! :)

I think Hubby & I are going to spend this weekend planning for what we need to do to make our townhome ready to sell. We have more organizing, decorating, and cleaning to do before we can consider putting it on the market. I am sure we will look more online, too. Maybe drive around some more tomorrow. After some bad, long drives home this week (Hubby had one night where due to weather and a wreck, it took him over 2 hours to get home...rediculous!), I think he is getting more and more ready to move! :)

Know anyone that wants a well-kept 3 year old townhome? :)

I'm Official!

2008-03-07T20:43:00.004-06:00

I am now FINALLY fully licensed and credentialled!!! I've been certified ("C" after PA) nationally since passing my exam, temporarily licensed with the state and partially credentialed with the hospital, but now I have permenant EVERYTHING! So, now I can be a full-on PA with full-on responsibilities!! YAH!!

Every week is getting better, the overwhelming feeling is lessening, and the loving is beginning. :) Mas info later...

One of the Strangest Dreams Eva!

2008-03-07T19:39:00.005-06:00

So, Tink wanted to know what one of our strangest dreams ever was, so thought I'd post about it & other dreams here.

Cuz... they're so weird...

Anywho, I HARDLY ever remember my dreams unless they are really scary or anxiety-type dreams like my teeth falling out (I've had that one a lot...several times during PA school). I had one last night where I was wearing the most SCROUNGIEST outfit to work! I had on a faded, thinned-out sweater and BLACK LEGGINGS that were also nasty, thinned out and one side had a hole in my inner thigh. I woke up and was all like, "What in tarnation was that all about? I don't have clothes like that!!!!!! AND WOULD NEVER look scroungy at work!!!!" I don't wear leggings. I did that in elementary school & I am NOT doing that style again. I refuse. BUT WHY HOLEY, SCROUNGY??? What was that all about???? That was totally an anxiety dream.

OK, so I think the weirdest dream I have ever had was this one......

When I was a wee youngin, I once dreamt that I went grocery shopping with my Mom after church one day and my Dad and sisters went home in our other car. So, it was just Mom & I shopping. As we come out of the store with a cart full of groceries, these 2 short, little old ladies come up to us looking like they need help. THEN, they start threatening my Mom and trying to rob us and want our car & groceries and her purse. These weren't little old ladies, they were 2 midget (or little people) men dressed as old women!!! Then I, in all my little-girl-I-have-super-human-powers-glory, I beat the living day lights outs of these small men and save my mom and the day!

How crazy is that???? I was probably like 8 or 9 when I dreamt that (so over 20 years ago) and I still remember that dream very vividly. Cuz it was so crazy!!!

I had multiple dreams throughout my childhood where I was saving family member and friends from bad people and dangerous situations. I wonder why?

Any ideas?

(p.s. for those of you who don't know me, I had a very good childhood and great parents, so it had nothing to do with them.)

What are some of your weird dreams?

What annoys you about yourself?

2008-03-02T16:45:00.002-06:00

Do you have things about yourself that annoy you (& maybe others) at times?

One thing that annoys me about myself (sometimes) is that I am a repeater. I repeat stories that I tell other people because I can't remember whether or not I told them. AND SOMETIMES it is more than TWICE that I end up telling them. They are probably thinking something like, " I KNOW! YOU HAVE TOLD ME A MILLION TIMES! UG!" And I admit, sometimes I do know I have talked about it before, but am passionate enough about it, I feel it needs repeating. But it does annoy me sometimes....especially since I think I am probably annoying others. Oh well.

Another thing that annoys me that I have all of a sudden been doing a lot lately for whatever reason.....although this is pretty funny, too.....and I apologize for the TMI....is that I have been putting on my underwear on inside-out ALL THE TIME now!!! What is wrong with me? Am I going blind? Am I still half asleep? What, I turn 30 and I can't bloody dress myself anymore?

I am so screwed when I get old. Hubby is totally going to have to take care of me.

Sheesh.

Thanks Tink!

2008-03-01T09:03:00.002-06:00

Now I want one!!!!!

I heart zombies, too.....and vampires & werewolves...too!

Oh, that wasn't bad.

2008-02-28T20:22:00.004-06:00

So, there was this one day when I was taking out a patient's staples from her healing surgical incision and you would have thought I was killing her.

With each staple, she OOOO'd and AHHH'd and OOOHHHH'd. It sounded like she was having a baby without any pain meds. I kept telling her to take deep breaths and it would be over soon.

Then when I finished, she says, "Oh. that wasn't bad."

Sooooo......what was with the sound effects? What's with the drama?

Granted, I have never had staples and thus have never had some taken out, but it is my understanding that it really isn't that big of a deal.

Silly. Silly.

Speaking of annoying.....

2008-02-28T19:24:00.004-06:00

Why would you buy a beautiful, fancy-shmancy, expensive, fast sports car & drive like a bloody grandma? What's wrong with you!!!!

And why do you decorate it with crap?

AND WHY IS IT NECESSARY FOR YOU TO HAVE 6 CAR LENGTHS IN FRONT OF YOU! This is H-town. You better learn how to drive like H-tonian!!!!

sheesh!

rekka-frecka

*Breath* *Breath* *Breath*

Oh....and today was a better day. i.e. feel mucho better & less stupid-o. ;)

test

2008-02-27T22:00:00.000-06:00

Test

One of those days

2008-02-27T20:17:00.003-06:00

I had one of those days at work today where I felt like a doofus. I'll save you from the boring details. Let's just say I felt like a stupid student again. It was stinky.

I understand that I have a HUGE learning curve ahead of me, but man, I am soooo hard on myself and a little impatient at times. I want to know everything right now! I want to be good at it NOW! I have always been that way. The good thing about me now compared to being a child, is I don't easily give up. I am persistant & keep at it! (Not that I would give up my job, I'm just sayin'.) NOW as an adult, I love to be challenged. I don't want an easy job. I want to always have the opportunity to learn more. I want the ability to always be able to improve. Be careful what you ask for right? Well, I definitely got it.

NOW...it's the patience that I need to work on.

Well at least things are moving a little faster now. I got my business cards today & my crackberry yesterday. I am becoming more official everyday. However, I found out that I won't be able to bill for my services, write prescriptions or orders until after March 6 when I get my full hospital credentials (i.e. red tape shtuffs). I think that is a little frustrating for everyone! Well, I guess it gives me a little more time in training mode.

I am enjoying it, but am already looking forward to a weekend gettaway for my cuz's wedding!

Update on ME

2008-02-24T08:49:00.003-06:00

Hi my peeps! I apologize again, for the lack of my craptacular bloginess. As you have read, I have been busy training in my new job as a physician assistant in gastrointestinal surgical oncology (with focus on liver tumors).

My commute is about 2 hours a day added on to a 9-10 hour day. Hubby & I live in the boonies outside of H-town and both have long commutes ITL (inside "the loop"). He works in the Galleria area & I work in the medical center. (HENCE THE REASON WE WANT TO MOVE ASAP!)

I have officially been working for 3 weeks. I am being trained by another PA and every week I am able to do a little more. The first week was mostly observing and doing a lot of HR stuffs. The second week I was finally able to start seeing patients on my own. The third week I saw more patients & am now able to dictate notes on the patients. Everything is a LONG process and a lot of paper work to be allowed to do things. I still cannot write orders or sign prescriptions or bill, so any patient I see, the physician still has to dictate a note anyway. Once I am given full "patient/hospital privledges" then I can bill, write orders, prescriptions, etc & the physician won't have to dictate for me. I can still dictate clinic notes for practice, but it cannot be used for billing just yet. This probably makes no sense to those of you not familiar with medical practice & I apologize for boring you. Anywho, it will probably be 2-4 more weeks before I am completely transitioned in & the previous PA is transitioned out (she is going to be working for another surgeon in the same department, so she'll still be around to help me).

As I said everything is a process at my hospital & some things move slowly. I don't have my business cards yet, I don't have my own white coats (with name stitched on) yet, BUT I do get my crackberry this week....finally. I have a temporary dept pager in the mean time. Even getting my crackberry is a process, as I have to go to a training session! SHEESH! Although, that is probably a good thing since I have never used one before.

So what does my job intale you ask?

So, I am working for a hepatobillary oncology surgeon & my primary responsibilities are in his clinic. I will see new patients, patients getting ready for their surgery (pre-op), patients after their surgery (post-op), and follow-up patients. I perform history and physical exams, coach the patients on what to expect before, during, and after surgery, go over pathology, labs, & imaging (CTs, Xrays, MRIs, PET scans), etc with the surgeon and the patient. Again, all of this is done in clinic. I do not have in-patient responsibilities (but will go on rounds at times with my surgeon, the surgical fellow, and surgical residents to see the patients after their surgeries) and will rarely be working in the OR. Since it is a teaching hospital, the OR is filled with the faculty surgeon, a fellow (a surgeon specifically training in surgical oncology), and sometimes a surgical resident (a surgical resident is a doctor training to be a general surgeon. If they want to specialize in cancer, they have to do a surgical oncology fellowship after their 5 year surgery residency), so there is really no need in the GI surgery department for a PA in the OR. Although, I did have one day in the OR during the second week and may have one this week. Even though OR assistance is not my job, it is good for me to get in there when I can so I am familiar with what my patients are going through. (I'll try to do another post later on my OR experiences.)

So, I am in clinic on Wednesday & Fridays and the other weekdays are what are called my administrative days. On admin days, I get ready for the busy clinic days, dictate notes, talk to patients on the phone or email, help coordinate new patients coming in and those patients cleared for surgery, and just over-all help coordinate the interdisciplinary care for the patients. So, just because I only have clinic 2 days a week does not mean I won't be busy. I am CRAZY busy. My surgeon has a HUGE practice. Think of me as the producer, asst director, & coordinator of "the show." I have to keep things organized. AND once I am fully trained and comfortable with my position and basic responsibilites, more will come. I may eventually help out in other clinics when needed. I will also have to opportunity to take on PA students and medical students in the future. Since I work for a teaching hospital, that will be VERY likely. Plus, I want to do it. I like teaching. (I used to train all the new employees in my previous job).

Anywho, that is my update& job in a nutshell.

I'll update ya when I can.

I'm still alive....

2008-02-22T12:30:00.002-06:00

....just crazy busy & then pooped by the time I get home. I am behind on blogging & reading blogs. Sorry my peeps! I still love you all.

I'll try....try being the key word here.....TRY to blog something of greater substance this weekend.

BIG XXXs & OOOs!

P.S. Still enjoying my jobby-job and still in training mode! more laters.

GET BACK TO WORK! ;p

He loves me BIG, part 2

2008-02-16T08:25:00.003-06:00

One of the sweetest things he has ever said to me.....

Valentine's night, Hubby looked at me & said,

"It's so easy being married to you."

He's so sweet!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-02-16T08:13:00.001-06:00

Um. So. I got NO EMAILS that people commented on my last post!!!

What's the deal-e-o, BLOGGER????????

Did you know....

2008-02-13T19:39:00.004-06:00

...That apparently about 2/3 of cars in the H-town area are made without turn signals? Because certainly if these people had them in their cars, they would use them, right? Especially when they want to cut you off. Right?

Seriously, people! Didja break your arm? Didja forget what a turn signal is? Why do you REFUSE to use it? WHY? HUH?

I hate commuting.

BUT enjoying the job. I finally got to see a few patients on my own today, but I still can't "dictate" notes yet, so not much I can do as far as documenting.... But I am getting good practice & getting used to presenting to my surgeon.

Speaking of surgeon. Tomorrow is my first day (since my PA school clinical rotations) to be in the OR. Yeah! 3 liver resection surgeries (meaning, taking part of the liver out that has tumor(s)). I'm excited!!!

# 3

2008-02-12T21:05:00.004-06:00

It just seems like yesterday, that we stood on the Kapalua Bay beach in Maui exchanging our vows....

These 3 years have gone by so fast!!! We've been a little busy.

And we love each other more and more every day. Hubby is my best friend & I am so glad I married him. What did I ever do without him? ;)

Had enough cheese? Sorry. I hadta! :)

So, you want to know what I got him, eh? I got him THIS & I think he digs it. He is a watch lover almost as much as I am a COACH lover.

We had a DEE-LISH dinner at one of our fav restaurants, Perry's Steakhouse. This place is so crazy delicious. I had a grilled filet mignon, shrimp, & lobster kibob special & Hubby had their famous seven finger pork chop. MMMM!

It was a great anniversary!

p.s. work is going well. I'm still in training mode & will be for the next 2-4 weeks. It's a transitional process. More details later. But wanted you to know I am enjoying it & all is well...

The man....He loves me....he loves me BIG!

2008-02-11T20:56:00.001-06:00

He sooooo knows what I love.....

....he feeds my addiction....!!!

;)

Best. Hubby. Eva!!!

Tomorrow is Year #3 for us, but we exchanged our gifts early...

I swear, we are like little kids sometimes....

Thanks!

2008-02-11T20:53:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for all of your thoughts & prayers & kind words.

It truly means a lot to me.

I am doing better. I am still sad, but am doing better.

It's helped to have so many supportive people, including my supportive co-workers. Man, they are such caring people. But it takes a caring soul to work with cancer patients....

anywho....

THANKS!

It's so hard to say goodbye

2008-02-10T15:54:00.000-06:00

I have not been energetic enough or happy enough to be blogging, but am doing a little better today.

I was debating with myself whether or not to blog about this, but thought it might be a bit therapeutic. I wish not to discuss it further than what I type here, so please refrain from questions. Nice comments are always welcome, but please no questions. It's too hard.

Those of you that know me know just how much I am an animal lover and I love my dear pets, as crazy as they are sometimes, with all of my heart. They are very precious to me & truly do enrich my life in many ways.

Marci, the torbi kitten, was the newest addition to our family and have only had her a short time. She turned 11 months this month. Unfortunately, she got VERY sick this past week, of which details I will not go into & after one trip to the ER vet and another trip to her regular vet, we had to make the very difficult and devastating decision yesterday to put her down. That was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make in my entire life. AND I was so completely torn up & such an emotional wreck (and still somewhat am), I had to have Hubby go sign the papers at the vet for me. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. And yes, I feel horrible that he was the one who had to be strong, but he is much stronger than I am when it comes to those things. Yesterday just plain SUCKED. It was awful. I cried off and on all day. It was one of THE worst days of my life. Today, I am still very sad & grieving over the loss of my beloved, cute, precious, little Marci. I loved her so much & have to fight back tears (I am as I type this) ever time something makes me think of her. She was such a sweet, sweet kitty.

Those of you that are not animals lovers, probably don't understand what I am feeling. But to me, it feels like I lost a family member & a friend. Though, I only had her since this summer, it was long enough that I loved her so much & became very bonded with her. I am very torn up about it & will be for a long time. I have lost pets in the past, but I have never had to put one down myself before & it sucks. It is so hard. But, I know it was the best thing for her. We couldn't see her suffer or deteriorate anymore. But it is still so hard.

Someday I am sure I will get another little female kitty, but it will be A LONG time before I am ready for that again. I feel like it just wouldn't be fair to Marci because she cannot be replaced. And emotionally (and time-wise), I can't handle getting another one for a long time.

It was a tough week as it was starting a new, stressful job & then to end on such a devasting note, just ruined it. But it is a new week & life goes on & every day will be a little easier and a little better.

Life goes on & I am thankful to have such a loving supportive husband & my pets & my parents who helped me get through it this weekend.

ug

2008-02-06T19:37:00.001-06:00

I am so bloody tired & I think my eyeballs are going to fall out. Oh, and my brain is going to explode, too. Wow, that's going to be quite a mess for someone to clean up. Talk about overwhelming....(but still enjoying this)......and I am still not seeing patients on my own yet.....

Maybe we should move ITL....

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.

Oh, and I am too lazy to respond to everyone right now. Just know I read your comments & appreciate them all. And I want to know why a certain someone is thinking of shutting their blog down. Although that thought crosses my mind, too.

Oh, and I can do this.

Happy Super Fat Tuesday!

2008-02-05T21:18:00.001-06:00

Ha! Super Fat Tuesday! LOVE IT!

2nd day went well. No clinic today, but training & helping with clinic prep. Big clinic days for me are Wednesday & small one on Friday. Monday & Thursdays are sugery days for my surgeon & other days are adminitstrative days. More details on all that later.

So, tomorrow is the BIG clinic day, but before that starts, there is a meeting to attend at 7am. That means I need to go to bed now so I can wake up at 4:30 to make it on time. I don't have my hospital credentialing yet (i.e. "patient privledges), so I can't see patients on my own yet. So, tomorrow I will just be observing for the most part. Which is good, b/c I still have a lot to learn.

I am also still settling into my office & need to get my computer & phone all set up. Things move a little slower at such a large institution. There around 17,000 employees. Huge, right?

It's weird coming home & then getting into bed 2 hours later....

I am tired still, but still excited!

Thanks for all of your kind words.

well, I am pooped. Off to bed...

I think my blogging is going to become fewer and far between. I apologize in advance if it does, but will blog when I can....

First Day!

2008-02-04T19:44:00.000-06:00

Well, I survived my first day at work. :)

OK, I haven't actually done real work yet. It was about 9 hours of HR shtuffs. Crazy, I know! History of the hospital, hospital mission & beliefs, benefits info, parking info (parking in H-town med center is a nightmare, so this requires much discussion), safety info, and on and on....

Tomorrow I get to finally report to my department for my departmental training to begin. Not sure what all will go on tomorrow. I'll probably get to settle into my office & get my computer shtuffs all set up. I'll see a lot of my co-workers & may see my surgeon if he isn't too busy with surgery (which is likely). Not sure if I am going to have some clinical training tomorrow. We shall see.

I do know that I hate getting up at 5am & long commutes. Today's 12 hour day (2 hours total of commuting) has made me quite tired. I got used to having all of this time off & then automatically going to a 12 hour day, even though it was only HR stuff, was tiring! I am ALREADY looking forward to moving closer to town someday. :)

Anywho, I am looking forward to getting settled into my department (surgical oncology) tomorrow, seeing my old preceptors who will now be my colleagues, & meeting other colleagues.

I'm pooped, but pumped!

Bloody Hilarious!

2008-02-03T11:04:00.000-06:00

Have you ever seen the BBC show Top Gear?

We are watching it this morning & it is bloody hilarious! ;)

and it has some cool cars.....

speaking of cars, I still think this is so cute!!!!

Things that annoy me...

2008-01-31T09:20:00.000-06:00

I think you all gathered by now that I am not usually a grouch, but I do occasionally get my crotchetiness on. The past few days I have been battling sinus issues & have been feeling grouchy. Yesterday I started a THINGS THAT ANNOY ME list... (some of what you can see I noticed on my walk with my dog...)

1. People that leave piles of newspapers in their yard/driveway. I know you are home, you lazy butt! I've see you pull into your driveway. Pick up your newspapers & recycle them!

2. People that let their lawns get out of control. Why do we pay so much each year in HOA fees if you aren't going to keep your lawn looking presentable?

3. People that take nice cars, such as the Lexus SUV I saw in my neighborhood today, and turn them into UGLY, GAWDY cars??? Bright sparkly LIME green is definitely not a factory color for a Lexus, nor are those ugly HUGE chrome three-spoked rims factory. Why did you ruin such a nice, expensive car??? What's wrong with you? (notice how the rims are named "killa"...I bet Lexus would LOVE that...whatevs...)

4. Construction workers blaring their tejano music and staring at me as I walk or jog by in my own subdivision. Have you never seen a female before? Get back to work!!!! Will these new home builds ever be finished?

5. The fact that I can't recycle glass & can't locate a recycling center that does. The excuse is because it is too dangerous. Are you kidding me?

6. People that speed down my street. Are you TRYING to run me over and kill me & all the little kids?

7. My local Quiznos (I love Quiznos) opened and we were all excited, and then within 6 months or so, it closed down. :( Now we are just stuck with the local corner sandwich shop that is trying to be trendy, but they hire annoying men that stick their dirty hands sans gloves in your food and tell you that the ice cream is so good, it's like crack. I've never tried crack (nor do I want to!!!) and I am not convinced that he HASN'T. Get your fingers out of my food foo!

8. People that talk with a British accent and aren't British and aren't joking around. How does one go from a deep Southern accent to a British accent....and without having ever lived in England?

9. When I decide I am going to spend the ENTIRE day outside with nature and taking pictures of nature, when the heavens decide to open up and unleash nastiness. (Hail & tornado warnings here today!!!) Sheesh!

What annoys you? And why do I find these lists so fun?

I know, I have too much time on my hands, but as you know by now....that will ALL CHANGE next week....you'll be lucky to get posts from me after next week.

WWC - A Day Late and a Dollar Short, again...

2008-01-30T12:49:00.000-06:00

But I did it!

The words for this week were Pride and Circle.

The words for next week are:

Narrow and Broad

If you haven't joined the fun, go here for details.

It's official!

2008-01-30T09:18:00.001-06:00

I got the call this morning & my official start date at work is Monday, Feb 4th!

The first day will be orientation with HR all day & then Tuesday I report to my department in surgical oncology.

I'm excited and nervous all at once.

:)

I really do feel lucky to have this opportunity to work there. I remember being a little girl hearing about the cancer hospital where my friend's parents worked & at such a young age, my interest was peaked . Then as life went on, I learned about family members, friends' families, and friends who struggled with and some who passed on due to cancer (I had my own little scare, too). This encouraged me to get involved in volunteer and fundraising activities for cancer research over the years. Then as I was exploring my career possibilities in medicine, I had the privilege of shadowing a PA at the cancer hospital. All of those experiences and my time spent in PA school classes & clinical rotations has lead to and prepared me for my upcoming new career. I feel blessed that my dream of working at such a special hospital that helps so many people from around the world is coming true.

You're on board or you're not on board...

2008-01-29T09:37:00.000-06:00

I am sooooo not on board!

This is the craziest. LOL cat. ever!

HA!

and for those of you who haven't seen the original craziness....check IT! HUH? What did he say?

One Week

2008-01-28T13:40:00.001-06:00

I have one more week off before the career life gets jump-started again! I guess I better make it a good one, eh? What should I do on my week off? Any suggestions?

The Texapennsylyorker & Texaconsin Divas Meet Again!

2008-01-28T13:09:00.000-06:00

My lack of craptacular blognessity this past week was due to playing hostess to my dear Texaconsin friend. It's been several years since I have chilled with my homegirl & so we had loads to catch up on. So I apologize if you missed me so. :) Fo Shizzle!

Anywho, it was great to see Jen. There was conversation a plenty, delicious foods & drinks, a lot of laughter, some mild daytime Mardi Gras (beads and all...noooo...no boobs...we aren't like that you sickos!) & even some hilarious entertainment from a Scotsman and his bunny. ;) Unfortunately, we were so busy having fun & catching up, we forgot to get pics together! DOH! Sorry peeps.

I've learned in my wise old age of 30, that the greatest friends in life are very precious & few and far between. Jen is one of those friends & I am so glad that she is in my life.

Thanks for being my friend, Jen! xxxooo

Sa-Weet!

2008-01-22T20:04:00.000-06:00

I got an email that my temporary PA license paperwork was completed today!!! Sooo, it looks like I might be able to start working in a week and a half (Feb 4th)!!!!

I know, I know. Who get this excited about working?

ME, that's who!

;o)

I'm with stupid ---->

2008-01-22T12:21:00.000-06:00

Holy Shmoly!

So, the other day I noticed that one of my neighbor's garage door was all mangled and unfortunately the front of their fairly new, pretty, white Mercedes sedan was also smooshed. OUCH! I was thinking that they must have smashed into their garage door somehow. Were they drinking & driving? AND SHAME IF THEY WERE! Or were they just tired and not paying attention? Or maybe the car malfunctioned (which wouldn't surprise me, b/c I have heard a lot of peeps having problems with their Mercedes). Anywho, whatever happened, it looked pretty awful.

Well, I just got back from my run (thankfully the rain had stopped for a bit) & noticed that they were having the garage door replaced. As I jogged by, I got to see in the garage. So, apparently, not only did they hit the garage door, but also smashed into the back wall that leads to our kitchens in these townhomes. OH SNAP! That's gonna cost a pretty penny.

Speaking of stupid....

I have Ellen on as I usually do at lunch time & Kellie Pickler, whom apparently was a contestant on American Idol (I don't listen to her nor have I ever watched American Idol), is on. WOW!!! Can we say IDIOT! I think she has the intelligence of a flea. How is this kind of person an American Idol? What are we teaching our children? Check it....

No WWC for me today. I have no pix, have been busy, & am not motivated to take any today. Sorry peeps. Maybe next week.

GRRRR!!!! $#@&^$%@#!!!!!!!

2008-01-21T21:07:00.000-06:00

So, first that treadmill that was graciously given to us months ago broke soon after we got it and now...

Our stationary bike is BROKEN!!!!! Hubby tried to fix it, but one of the main components is warped. GRRRRRRRR!!! Well, we bought it for like $100 before our wedding and we have more than received our money's worth, but still. GRRRR!!!! How am I supposed to work out now? I run/walk outside when the weather is good, but it is supposed to rain a lot this week! I don't even mind & actually like running when it is cold, but wet is a different story.

GRRR!!! My getting-back-into-shape and in a good routine has been sabotaged by our own equipment! UG! And I don't have a gym membership anymore. I gave that up when we moved here since I had a school gym (which I think I used like 3 times) and our own cardio equipment. UG! I guess I'll have to use the workout videos again when I can't run outside. :(

We might try to get another (and much better quality) stationary bike soon. I even thought maybe I should look into a 6-month gym membership if any place does that. If we move to that one community I have been telling you all about, it has it's own workout facility that all residents can use. Cool, eh?

I really want to lose 10 lbs. Seriously. Looking at the old pictures and old clothes made me sad & motivated.

GRRRRR!!!!!!!!

Not-Quite-Spring Cleaning

2008-01-21T13:05:00.000-06:00

As I had mentioned previously, the good thing (depending on how you look at it) about having all of this time off, is I have time to do some much needed cleaning & organizing around the house. Sheer boredom & that fact that I am having a good friend visit that I haven't seen in over 3 years is a great motivation.

Well, I kind of started this several of months ago with purging of many clothes & THAT was just from our master closet. That did not include the spare bedroom closets or the dressers. Yes, I have too many clothes. The really rediculous part is some of the clothes I have had since high school. Talk about packrat! sheesh! So, I started working on cleaning up the guest bedroom and closet. There were piles of clean clothes everywhere in there, Christmas junk, & not to mention the closet looked like a bomb exploded in there. What happened to me? I used to be SO ORGANIZED. Now I'm a mess. I guess that's what grad school does to you. That, and I also aquired a husband and 3 pets over that past few years. ANYWHO, I digress... I have 2 more HUGE bags of clothes to donate, and think maybe this time I am going to itemize them & get a tax reduction. Dang! I should have done that with the other 5 bags I got rid of last time. I wonder how much I can get in return?

When one does this kind of cleaning, many treasures and memories are rediscovered. I came across all of the cards & some photos from our wedding. I saw old photos from dating days with Hubby. I even found a couple of old love letters from and old "boyfriend" (pre-hubby of course) that were stashed in the depths of my dresser drawers. (Those got shredded!) How funny is that?!?! (Man, those letters were soooo cheezy! "Boyfriend" is in quotation b/c we only dated for few months & I was not nearly as into him as he was with me....but that's an entirely different & weird story...of which I have several of...anywho...). I amaze myself with all the crap I have held onto over the years & it feels good to start getting rid of it. I have been the queen of shredding this past week & I think I have almost killed our shredder. I need a bloody industrial shredder with all of the documents I have been shredding. Craziness! The "office" (aka bane of my existence) is still a work in progress, too. I was getting tired of dealing with that mess & it looks more presentable now, so I decided to tackle the guest bedroom (aka the Mr. & Mrs. ETK room....and Mr. & Mrs. BFF room...and now will be Mrs. Diva room, too. ;) ).

So, this house is starting to get into a shape that I am more pleased with. If we were planning on staying here long term, I'd probably start painting (or hire someone to paint), too. But I think we determined at this time, it probably wouldn't be worth the time and money. We'll see. Plans may change once I start working & we get closer to the point when we can put it on the market.

Speaking of that, I think THIS community is still our number one for many reasons. Some of which are the beauty, safety, affordability (no too much nor too little), close to H-town/decent commute times, new shopping areas & restaurants being built, and there are even plans for a waterway with shops & restaurants similar to but bigger than the waterway in the Woodlands. We are continuing our research and are starting to get figures in place for the house we really like. We'll have a better idea of things once I start working & am able to bring home some more bacon. ;) (We have even thought about seeing a financial advisor to make sure we are being smart about everything.)

Anyway, I will conclude this blabbering with some photos of hubby & I from our dating days (which was only 3+ years ago). I can't believe it will be 3 years in just a few weeks! WOW! These photos are so cute! Man, look how skinny & blonde I used to be! And it was when I had my braces!!!! ;) I showed hubby the pics last night & he had almost forgotten how blonde I had become. What started out as hi-lights turned me into a blonde! He asked if I would ever do that again. I am not sure. I am tempted a lot because I get bored with my hair, but it is SUCH HIGH maintenance and costs a lot AND I still have damage in my hair as a result AND it has been about 3 years since the last time I had hi-lights! So, I don't know. We'll see. I wonder if he wants me to do the blonde look again. hmm..... Anyway, here we are/were:

Things I Love!

2008-01-19T18:37:00.000-06:00

Haven't done one of these posts in a while.....

1. Hubby is making me an italian dinner tonight. I LOVE THAT!!!! mmmm

2. I love, LOVE Sully's voice & absolutely love THIS song.

I HEART Godsmack.

What are you hearting these days?

YEA! WHOOPEE! and all that jazz...

2008-01-18T14:18:00.000-06:00

I am now an official PA-C!

WOOHOO!

I just got my results an hour ago & I passed the certification exam...that's what gives me the "C" after PA. Apparently the person I talked to on the phone yesterday was misinformed about when the scores are released. THANK THE LORD! I didn't want to wait another week.

As you can see from my post below, I want to start working as a PA ASAP. Heck, that's what I invested these past 2.5 years for. It was not to sit at home bored to tears....

Anywho...

Dinner & a movie tonight with Hubby!!!!! YEA!

YEA ME! :)

YAY! More Fuzzball Pix!

2008-01-18T10:15:00.000-06:00

TGIF...kinda

2008-01-18T09:01:00.000-06:00

Yes, thank God it's Friday. Which, being that I am not currently working...yet...is kinda meaningless for me. Everyday right now is a day off (accept the Hubby working during the week.) But let me tell you, I am not one of those people that likes having all of this time off. I definitely have days where I hate it. I am a much happier person when I feel like I have a purpose each day. Working actually helps keep me happy. I know, I am crazy. AND everyone is telling me to appreciate this time off between school & work. But going from 100 mph in school to nothing has been tough. I like staying busy with a greater purpose. I thought about getting a part time job, but what would I do? And then if I do find something, I might have to quit in a few weeks if I can start working at my PA job that soon. And yes, I should be volunteering, but that usually only eats up a few hours out of a week. Man, I hate that my only responsibilities right now are related to housework & zoo-keeping (meaning my pets). Thank God I didn't live in the 50s because the whole housewife who stays home and takes care of the house, kids, and husband is SO NOT ME!!!! Don't get me wrong, I do like doing nice things for Hubby & he did so much for me when I was soooo busy with school. BUT I HATE that this is pretty much all I am doing right now. (It's a good thing we aren't having kids, because I think that would send me to the looney bin.) Although, it is forcing me to tackle some much needed projects around here that I have been neglecting like organizing files, the "office," and the guest bedroom is next. (I have to get it ready for Mrs. Diva!!!) Also, this time off is helping me get back into a workout routine (if I could only stick to it!!!).

Again, please don't take this the wrong way. I am not dogging on "domestic engineers." I have MUCHO MUCHO respect for those people. I am just saying that I am not programed for such a life. I am that woman who wants to work full time and wants to love her job. I am that independent woman who just wants to come home to a quiet house (quiet when my pets aren't being crazy) with only my husband and occasionally have some friends and family over. Anything else is too much for me.

Man, I am complaining about taking care of 1600 sq. ft. townhome. What am I going to be like when we move into a bigger house? Will I have to hire a maid or what? Well, at least I'll be working then & maybe too distracted to think about it too much.

Anywho.....enough complaining

Hubby found this last night. I laughed the whole time. He did not....
Hopefully I don't fit this stereotype too much.... but it is pretty funny and somewhat accurate... check it! ;)

Gratuitous pet pics are to come later, per request.

Have a great Friday & weekend!

Ciao!

Diabeetus!

2008-01-17T16:24:00.000-06:00

Let me balance my grumpy post with a funny one.

FG always makes me giggle...

SO ANNOYED!!!!

2008-01-17T11:13:00.000-06:00

GRRRRRRR!!!

So, a lot of my classmates took the PA certification exam 2 weeks ago and got their scores last week at 11am. A one week turn around! So, I was all excited thinking I would get my score today....at 11am. But nooooo! No results for moi today. I even called & they said it takes on average TWO weeks. So, I guess my classmates that got theirs in a week were lucky.

One more week for me. (Hopefully only one more week).

Man, I so wanted to KNOW TODAY!!!!

Ug!

I just wanna know!

WWC & Technical Annoyances

2008-01-16T06:29:00.000-06:00

A day late and a dollar short....but here it is...

The Weekly Words' Challenge is brought to us by the ever so beloved Tink over at Pickled Beef.

This weeks' words are SQUARE and SOFT.

The words for next week are:

Envy and Triangle

If you haven't joined the fun, go here for details.

Now on to the annoyances. So, I was noticing the other day that Google Reader does NOT correct any post-publish edits one has made to their blog. GRRR! So, if anyone only reads your blog from their Google Reader, they won't see the edits you have made to your blog. This means I need to be MUCH better at proof-reading before I click publish AND my pals that read my blog from their reader, you need to come to my blog! :)

The other thing that annoys me, is the spacing issues once you have uploaded pictures. It takes me forever to get it right and even sometimes then it doesn't come out right. GRRR again! AND sometimes my paragraph spacing gets all screwy once I have placed pictures in between my paragraphs. Does anyone have any suggestions for me to help prevent these spacing issues????

Peace out homebloys!

Monkey Pox!

2008-01-15T13:01:00.000-06:00

Too funny!

Bill Gates Last Day @ Microsoft

Golden Sporky Goodness

2008-01-14T15:48:00.000-06:00

Big thanks to Miss Tink over at Pickled Beef for my "Endearing" Spork Award.

Ain't she just the sweetest?

Another Wish List Item for 2008

2008-01-14T12:46:00.000-06:00

I need to do a better job at proof reading & spell checking before clicking publish post (for my blog & my comments on others)! My spelling, grammar, & flow errors and the fact that my brain is so much faster than my typing that I forget entire words....is utterly atrocious!!!

I'll try to do better. Try being the key word there....

I am college educated. I promise!

I'm working on it!

2008-01-14T07:39:00.001-06:00

As you might remember, I do not DO New Year's Resolutions, but I did make a wish list & am making some progress on a few of the items. One of them, which I feel is very important, is to take better care of & pamper my self more. I may do better at this once I start receiving a paycheck, but I can start NOW with little things. So, this weekend I decided to try some new makeup. I usually have a mish-mosh of different brands from MAC to Covergirl. I try to stick with the nicer brands for my foundation b/c my skin is fairly sensitive, but sometimes when I am feeling like a money pincher, I go cheap. I HAVE TO STOP THIS! My skin is worth the money. I am still loving my Burt's Bees Radiance Creme! And I have decided to continue with the all natural theme and am now trying Pür Minerals makeup that I picked up at Ulta. Also, a good friend (who needs to blog more, ahem!) of mine has amazing eyelashes and she introduced me to Lash Injection by Too Faced. I am LOVING all of the new makeup. The Pür Minerals makeup feels and looks more natural, and so far my skin is agreeing with it. The new clothes and better hair will be next!!! :) I guess I can also lump in working out more into "the things I can do now."

The other the thing on the list that I have time to do now, is spend more time with friends and family. I think Hubby is getting better quality time with me since I don't have school looming over my head. Also, I am reconnecting with old friends and spending time with new & old friends. Thursday a few of my PA buddies got together to celebrate getting boards over with and we celebrated those who have already received their passing scores (I should get my scores this week!!!!). I am going to do my best at staying in touch with and getting together when we can.

I also got to see an old friend from my previous job this weekend and had an amazing Northern Indian meal, as usual, at Khyber. Mrs. ETK is the one who introduced us to this restaurant and she, apparently, is the female version of NORM! at Khyber. LOL! When we told the waiter we were friends of ETK, he got all excited and asked how she was and where she had been. The most funny part was that he wanted to call her so he could get tips on how to quit smoking. He felt if she could do it, then he could, too. Too cute! AND the best part, we got some peshwari naan (naan bread filled with a sweet pistachio and raisin filling) on the house! Yes, knowing ETK has many perks. HA! ;) Anwyho, I had never tried it before and it was so YUMMY! We had a great time & it was really great to see Miss K! I really need to see her more often.

I truly hope to be a better friend now that school is over! Friends are so important. They help keep us happy and sane. ;)

New Friends and Old Friends

By Joseph Parry

Make new friends, but keep the old;

Those are silver, these are gold.

New-made friendships, like new wine,

Age will mellow and refine.

Friendships that have stood the test -

Time and change - are surely best;

Brow may wrinkle, hair grow gray,

Friendship never knows decay.

For 'mid old friends, tried and true,

Once more we our youth renew.

But old friends, alas! may die,

New friends must their place supply.

Cherish friendship in your breast-

New is good, but old is best;

Make new friends, but keep the old;

Those are silver, these are gold.

I'm not the only one!

2008-01-10T08:38:00.000-06:00

SEE!!!! I am not the only one who feels this way.

It's Delurker Day.

See HERE and HERE!

If you lurk here. PLEASE be nice and leave a comment. Say Hi! Say something. DON'T BE SHY!!!!

The picture above is from Man Overboard who got it from Chris at Rude Cactus

Today's Randomness

2008-01-09T08:59:00.000-06:00

The night before T-day, I didn't sleep very well. Strangely enough, I wasn't tossing & turning worrying about the exam, but kept waking up because I was having strange dreams. One of the dreams was very disturbing. I dreamt that a friend of mine (who is not a real person in real life), died. Not only was I very sad, but everyone around me was also because we were all friends with her. What was really strange was that this woman was a big, jolly Hawaiian woman. It was soooo odd. Last night when I was out dining with Hubby, I told him about this dream & he immediately started to interpret it. He thinks that this BIG lady was PA school and the death represents that part of my life ending. Her jolliness, the association with my love of Hawaii, & my friends also being sad represented all the good times I had during PA school that will be missed. I think hubby was probably right in his interpretation. Perhaps was dead on! HA! Ok, sorry for the pun. I was so amazed at how immediate his reaction was to the story of my dream. He truly amazes me sometimes.

PA school was such a HUGE part of my life. It completely consumed me over these past almost 3 years. From applying, to waiting to hear if I got in, to the RIGOROUS time spent in school. It was my life & now that the PANCE is over with, it is completely over. I don't have to study at such intensity any more. Yes, I will be reading to keep up with what's going on in the medical world, and I am required to do what is known as CMEs (continued medical education credits). But the major intensity of study is over, or atleast until I have to take the recertification exam again in 6 years. Hopefully, I will keep in touch with the friends I made, but I won't be seeing them nearly as often. We lived and breathed PA school together. So, there is some sadness in this part of my life being over....

But a new chapter begins very soon as I embark on my new career and I can't wait to share it with you.

*************

Another next major step in my and hubby's life is to sell our townhome and move into a bigger home that will be closer to H-town. We are currently living in a cute little 1600 sq ft townhome that we purchased right before I started PA school. This is our first home and previous to this, we did the apartment thing for several (for hubby it was MANY) years. We decided that we wanted to buy this townhome so that I would be closer to campus and so we didn't have to throw our money away anymore by renting. We knew this would be temporary, but it has been fun. It has also been relatively easy to care for which has been a God send since we have both been so busy. We have been accruing equity, we have had more space, a little yard, a 2 car garage, and all within a safe neighborhood. We are not staying here long term because we want a bigger, single family home & we want to live closer to H-town. Hubby sacrificed a lot to move to this almost BFE town. His commute is AWFUL. He averages almost 3 hours total commute time a day. AWFUL. The driving experience did improve when he purchased the convertible MINI Cooper S, but still. THREE HOURS a day is bad. And now that I, too, will be working in H-town "inside the loop", as we say around here. We will be improving our quality of life by moving closer.

We aren't exactly sure when we will place our home on the market, but it will probably be after I have started working and have taken care of some debt & saved some money. The dilemma now is where to move? We have talked and talked and researched and researched and will continue to do so. We have considered moving "inside the loop", just outside "the loop", or moving to a beautiful suburb that is closer (and more upscale) than the one we are in now. We saw some beautiful homes over the weekend, which I posted about & linked to a few days ago. They have communities in the Heights and other areas inside the loop & also have a community in Spring Branch on a little lake. They were soooo pretty, but NO LAND and then there is the decrease in safety by living in or near the city. Our commutes would be so short, we could have an urban lifestyle and be closer to more shopping, restaurants, the arts, museums, sports, city parks, etc. BUT if we move to the suburbs, we would have more land, safety to walk/run in the neighborhood alone, room for Hubby's "Italian sports car," it would be less expensive, a local pool (and potential to have our own), local workout facilities, town centers, etc. There are plus and minuses to both. We really like Southern Trails and Sienna Plantation and still really like this house.

So, as you see we have a lot to think about and consider before we take the next big leap in home ownership. Either way, we can't wait! We want the next home to be our long term, if not forever, home. A place where all of our family and friends feel welcomed and see it as home away from home. A place where we can have big family get-togethers, dinner parties, or just a comfortable night at home alone. We want it to be Home-Sweet-Home.

One of the many reasons I like her...

2008-01-09T08:57:00.000-06:00

Bippity bobbity BACON!

It's over & WWC

2008-01-08T14:40:00.000-06:00

It feels so good to have it over with. Now my brain is mush. Let's hope I passed so I don't have to wait 90 days to retake it. ;) ug. Then I won't have to take it for another 6 years. (PAs have to take the recertification exam EVERY 6 years!)

I'll find out my score in 1-3 weeks. Keep the prayers goin!

Thanks to everyone for all of your support, thoughts, & prayers!!!! It has been much appreciated! Special thanks to ETK & TT for their lovely posts!!! You are the best! Love you!

OK onto this weeks WWC (see, I am a loyal blogger!!!):

The Weekly Words' Challenge is brought to us by the ever so beloved Tink over at Pickled Beef.

This weeks' words are BLACK and STRANGE.

Funny how most of the PA chicas wore black to the graduation banquet.

Black cap & gowns, of course, at graduation.

PAs make strange faces sometimes....all the studying makes us crazy!

I look a little strange with this contraption on my face....

The words for next week are:

Soft and Square

If you haven't joined the fun, go here for details.

I HATE BLOGGER SPACING ISSUES!

Ok. Brain. complete. mush. must. go slee....zzzzzzzzzz

Thanks!

2008-01-06T19:26:00.000-06:00

Thanks for the good lucks, etc.

I've been studying and studying and studying, although hubby & I sneaked in some restaurant eatin' & house research this weekend. Maybe I shouldn't have, but whatevs! I can't study 24-7 for months on end. We've essentially been "studying for boards" since our clinical rotations ended in June. SHEESH! (Remind me, I need to write my alma mater a letter about that silliness...it has been MONTHS since I have examined a patient...not good....but I digress....)

Anywho, more on the home search later. I must get back to reviewing heart murmurs!!!

Tuesday = 360 questions -> six 60 minute blocks = 6 testing hours, & 45 minutes total for break to use how we want after a block is finished. I can't wait to get it over!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Going cross-eyed...

2008-01-04T09:45:00.000-06:00

....from all the reading & studying!

Just 4 more days..... UG! I am finishing up Pulmonology today. Then the next 2 days are going to be a re-review of Cardiology (a HUGE part of the exam). On Monday, I'll probably do more practice questions, some last minute cram review, & then take the night off to relax and rest my mind before the SIX HOUR EXAM on Tuesday!!!!

On another note, I just signed up on Google Reader yesterday & subscribed to most of the blogs I read. Now I don't have to look like a stalker when I check your blogs all the time to see if you posted anything yet. :) It tells me when you've posted something new. Very cool!

WWC

2008-01-02T09:39:00.000-06:00

Weekly Words' Challenge brought to us by the ever so beloved Tink over at Pickled Beef.

This weeks' words are BROWN and PATTERN.

The words for next week are:

Strange and Black

If you haven't joined the fun, go here for details.

Next Tuesday is T-DAY (my board exam), so I'll be LATE on my WWC....

Happy New Year!!!

2008-01-01T15:25:00.000-06:00

Well, even though we were not able to make it to any par-tays, Hubby & I had a nice evening. We discovered a new favorite restaurant & had an amazing dinner! We have passed by this little Italian restaurant many times, but never tried it until last night. From the outside it just looks like a hole-in-the-wall, but as many hole-in-the-walls are, it was excellent! Not fancy-schmancy by any means, but the food was outstanding! We started with the insalada caprese, hot rolls, salads & the house cab. Hubby had the penne con pesto with chicken dish and I had the eggplant parmigiana. We finished it off with Lavazza cappucino & shared a Chocolate Mousse that had rich chocolate cake layered with whiten & dark chocolate mousse, topped with chocolate ganache. I haven't been to Italy (yet...that'll be the 2009 trip...), but I have had REAL NEW YORK ITALIAN food & this was right up there with it. DEE-LISH! The sauce was homemade & awesome, the "mozzarel" was fresh & moist, the breaded eggplant was amazing, the cappucino was the best I've had in a long time, & the homemade mousse pie was to-die-for. Well done, Angello! Well done. We'll be back fo' sho'! (Hopefully soon....we need to try the pies (pizza) next! Bene!

Then we came home, watched some Family Guy & Futurama in our utter dorkiness & I think I crashed by 10:30 or 11. Staying up until midnight wasn't going to happen after that meal! zzzz!

I had planned on watching the Rose Bowl parade this morning while studying, but alas, the stoopid cable was out. Apparently for 12 hours!!! Apparently someone at Comcast had a bit too much of the bubbly & made a royal screw up??? BUT, that gave us the opportunity to watch our Secret of NIMH DVD (thanks, ETK!). We hadn't watched that movie in YEARS! Both of us love that movie/story. (Ironic, since we both previously worked in research labs...) We LOVE Jonathan!! SPARKLEYS!!! He is too funny! Gotta love Dom Deluise. ;)

Then....back to studying....which is what I did ALL day yesterday and most of today (and will continue tonight....ho hum.) and on & on until TUESDAY - T DAY!

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Well, I hope you all have a great 2008! From what I have heard/read, sounds like several peeps have had a difficult year. I hope 2008 will be better for you all.

As for me, it is going to be yet another year of change. I will be starting my new career within a month or two, and will be facing a HUGE learning curve. But I love challenges & I welcome them. I am excited about it.

I am not one for resolutions, but I do have a list of wants for the year:

1. I want to pass the PANCE.

2. I want to enjoy my new career/job as a surgical PA-C.

3. I want to spend more time with family & friends.

4. I want to make more friends & hopefully find some more COUPLE friends that Hubby & I can hang out with.

5. I hope we can sell our townhome & be in a bigger, nicer, single family home by next year.

6. I want to get into better shape/health & lose weight & to be a runner again!

7. I want to gain my sense of style back & acquire more sophisticated clothes...and maybe pamper myself more than I have in the past 2.5 years.

8. I hope to do some more traveling. 2007 was a fairly busy travel year: San Francisco/Napa with BFF, Pensacola with ETK & Baby, Whitewater rafting/camping in Tennessee with ETK & Baby, Ohio for a funeral :(, & the graduation trip to Maui. We probably won't have a MAJOR trip this year (again, Italy is the goal for 2009), but we have some plans....Oregon in May, maybe a hiking/camping trip to the Grand Canyon, Utah, & maybe a night in Las Vegas???, perhaps another camping or B&B trip to Fredericksburg, TX...we'll see...

9. And finally, to have more fun!!! :o)

Happy New Year! Cheers!

I'm Looking California, but Feeling Minnesota

2007-12-30T20:23:00.000-06:00

More randomness.......

1. I got a lot of good studying done today. YAY! I finished GI & I am such a dork b/c I love GI!!! I guess that's a good thing b/c I am going to be a GI surgical oncology PA (liver, specifically). ;)

2. I absolutely LOVE the new wine glasses that my sis got me. It is so nice to be drinking wine out of proper and nicer wine glasses. It's been one of those things I have been wanting, but just never got around to buying. LOVE THEM! They are classically beautiful, perfectly weighted, & they actually let the wine BREATH. Someday I truly want to be a wine snob. I do. Seriously. I knew I should have taken that wine class when I was at Cornell. shucks! Oh, but the bad thing about these properly sized red wine glasses....I sometimes pour too much. Hubby calls it an "Alli glass." I'm not a wino. I swears!

3. With the new Jukes, we are enjoying some good tunes. Thanks to ETK & Hubby, I am currently (and quite behind) REALLY loving the Garden State Soundtrack. Now I just need to buy the movie & some of the bands that are on the soundtrack. I heart Frou Frou!!

4. Speaking of music.... The title of this blog, for those of you that don't know or remember, is a line from an old Soundgarden song. I loved Soundgarden (still do)!!! Doesn't Chris Cornell have an amazing voice? I don't know what exactly the song means, but I think that is how I feel sometimes...

5. I'm bummed.... I was invited to 2 New Years parties this year, and I won't be going to either one. AND both are friends I haven't seen in forever. I need to be a party pooper this year so I can stay focused. 9 more days.....then freedom..... Then I can be social again. ;)

6. I like numbering things.

Brown Eyed Girl Christmas 2007

2007-12-30T12:10:00.000-06:00

Photos from my family & Hubby's Texas family Christmas. Unfortunately, dumb me forgot to charge my battery & didn't bring the back up at my 'rents' house...so less pix. Anywho, enjoy!

Hope you all have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Brown Eyed Girl

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